by AGS Member Lark M. Robart (updated 20 September 2022)
The big day was earlier this month on Saturday, May 7th! And it was a great day indeed.
The day kicked off at 10:30 am in the Auditorium when Michael Blackledge presented Mayor Tim Keller’s Family History Day Proclamation in honor of Albuquerque Genealogical Society’s 50th anniversary. I then gave a brief description of AGS activities in 2021, as well as our current slate of events.
Immediately following, Lynda Katonak conducted a fun and informative Retrospective Panel Discussion (a special “thank you” to Garrett Ross for helping her find the right cables and set up for her presentation).
Panel members included (left to right) Karen Jones, Patricia Tharp, Ginny-Kay Massara and Nancy Greenberg.
Tiffani Loiacono also prepared a wonderful slideshow that played in the Auditorium for the remainder of the event.
The group in attendance then moved over to the Community Room where the following display tables were set up for the various special interest groups and lineage organizations:
- Celtic Research SIG
- DNA SIG and ABCs of DNA
- Military Research SIG
- African American Research SIG
- Writing and Publishing SIG (including AGS Golden Anniversary Series books for sale)
- Society of Mayflower Descendants
- Daughters of the American Revolution
- Sons of the American Revolution
- Daughters of 1812
- Information for genealogy beginners
- Genealogy for kids
Several tours of the Genealogy Center were conducted by Lisa Kindrick on the 2nd floor of the Library beginning at 12:45 pm. And about 20 door prizes were handed out during that same time period.
Door prizes included:
- A FREE Pass for jamboree 2022 (a virtual event sponsored by the Southern California Genealogical Society scheduled for August 26-27, 2022) > a $165 value
- An Ancestry DNA test > currently a $59 value (normally $99)
- A 6-month “U.S. Discovery” subscription to Ancestry > currently a $79 value (normally $99)
- An AGS Anniversary Book (hard copy) > a $30 value
- Two (2) AGS annual memberships > $20 to $25 value each
- PLUS genealogy books by well-known authors, including Blaine T. Bettinger, Lisa Louise Cooke, Drew Smith, Diana Elder and Nicole Dyer
Sales of three Golden Anniversary Books were also conducted in the Community Room. Those books included: Stories of Early Albuquerque: As told in the AGS Quarterly authored and compiled by Rosemary McNerney-Winkler; AGS’s First Fifty Years: A Retrospective (1972 – 2022) compiled by Lynda Katonak, Michael Blackledge, Michael Wilson and Stuart Murray; and AGS Military Heritage: Service to our Country by Members, Ancestors and Family authored by Pat Eker.
AGS 50th anniversary mugs and pens were also on sale.
Two anniversary cakes were served for the occasion, along with refreshments.
It was estimated that approximately 60 people attended. And we all agreed it was wonderful to be back in person to celebrate!
Travis Hollins took great pictures, which you can see here. And Lynda Katonak asked that we also thank Garrett Ross who helped her find the right cables and set up for her presentation!
Thanks to everyone who helped make this event successful!
Way to go AGS! And here’s to another 50 years!!
